"Reply chain can only be up to 10 posts deep"

"[b][size=3][color=bb0000]Posting a reply to this message is not allowed, the reply chain can only be up to 10 posts deep. Try to post a new message or reply to a earlier message.[/color][/size][/color][/b]"

Allowing only 10 replies to a topic is a ridiculous limitation, one that [italic]no other message board software on the Internet has[/italic].

It looks like you noticed formatting issues with deeply nested threads, so you "solved" it by not allowing them to get more than 10 replies deep. This is a case where the cure is worse than the disease. You're sacrificing core functionality of [italic]discussion[/italic] software to make it easier to write some display code.

If you can't figure out to format deeply nested threads, then just don't show a tree view at all. Just show each thread as a flat view, perhaps with multiple pages, just like other board software. Or you can combine the two, like Google Groups. But simply telling us "Sorry, your conversation is done, move along" is extremely frustrating.

: Hello : : The system supports unlimited number of reply messages, but only to a depth level of 10. Its both from a performance level, technical and design point of view.: : But in the next version of the board I will improve this , but getting unlimited depth is not possible if I want to have a fast and efficient messageboard.: : : : [blue][italic][b]/WEBMASTER[/b][/italic][/blue]: : Perhaps it is possible that the 11th post (21st, ...) automatically starts a new thread with the same header, but only with "(cont.)" added. This would be a perfect compromis: 10 deep unlimited posts.

: The system supports unlimited number of reply messages, but: only to a depth level of 10. Its both from a performance: level, technical and design point of view.

I don't see how is it a "performance" or "technical" issue. Threads can already have hundreds of replies. An individual reply chain must be broken at 10 only to avoid wrapping in your fixed-width thread display. It's a layout design problem.

Google Groups solves it by putting the thread view in a separate frame, so it can grow to unlimited depth:

Actually it is a performance issue and in the way it is implemented now it is only possible with a depth of 10 replies. But I have no technical problem to increase it to a fixed number and I will do that.

The issue is to find a fast algorithm that can in one database-query figure out the complete hierarchy of a message-thread; it is a bit tricky to do that efficiently in one SELECT SQL statement because messages can appear in any order and can be a reply to any message. The issue is in the sorting of the messages to get them returned in the right order.

Its a completely different issue in other boards where you only post a message at the end of the reply chain (flat view boards).

But I will improve the current boards specification when I start digging in the messageboard architecture.